A MIRACLE!!!

LEXI POOPED IN THE POTTY.

WE ARE CELEBRATING YOGURTLAND STYLE...

For Heidi...

You recently made a comment that no one blogs anymore...may I remind you this is my 3rd blog in 2 days?

This one is for you...

A never before seen pic of our girls. Princesses that had a little too much fun in the makeup...



Where has time gone?

Just so you know....

I'm really growing tired of cleaning up poopy swimsuits.

I had to pull Lexi out of the pool twice today.

Take her to the bathroom.

Clean her up.

Wash out her suit.

Sit her in time out.

Put her in the pool for her lesson. (She lost her free swim time.)

And repeat the process.

I'm SO OVER IT... I'm losing my mind.

So sad...

We watched Jon & Kate tonight.
It made me really sad.

You've all heard the stories. He cheated. She cheated. He said. She said. Whatever.

The show told us tonight all I needed to know. This couple is hurting. Their family is falling apart.

And it makes me really sad.

I've read a lot of what Kate has said about traveling....working...trying to do so much to provide for her kids. We had her speak at our church not to long ago. I know how much she gets for a speaking engagement. I've heard how much she makes per episode. I can only imagine what her publishing royalties...dvd profits...etc. are.

Obviously enough to provide for a beautiful new home. A home that they showed on the episode tonight. But it was so sad. So lonely. So empty. All I could think about was how all that "work" to provide for your kids means NOTHING if your family is falling apart.

At the end of the show, they were actually sitting together. Their body language told the whole story. They went after each other without saying a word. Both said the reason they live, eat, breathe is for "their kids."

Can I just say that when you base your whole world around your kids...everything else is going to suffer. Kids deserve our absolute best. But if my relationship with my spouse....my childrens' father is hurting....then the kids are going to hurt too.

I've been taught my whole life:
God first.
Spouse second.
Kids third.

It always feels a little weird to say that. To think it. To live it. Because it seems like the kids are getting short changed. But the only way the get short changed is when those first 2 relationships are suffering.

One only has to look at Jon & Kate to see that story unfolding.

So I hope they make it through this. I hope all of our relationships make it. Tonight just reminded me of what was important. I don't always put God first. I don't always put my husband before my kids. But I know I need to. That is how I can give my kids the very best.

Who are these people?????

Alligator Golf

We went golfing our last day in Florida and met some new friends....

Say Cheese....

Daddy showing the girls his moves.


Another friend...

Lexi taking a break.

Haley is quite a golfer...Smiling after her 2nd hole in one!!!

Party at the Castle.

Lexi Mae...my beautiful baby girl is three years old.

It was such an awesome opportunity to be able to spend her Birthday at Disney World. I swear...I was like a Perfect Ad/Testimonial for Disney this week. I was moved to tears so many times. Just watching how magical and beautiful everything is to my beautiful girls. Haley has started to "figure things out." She knows that it isn't all real... but every once in a while, even she gives in to the magic of Disney.

But Lexi...it is all so pure, sweet, innocent, and beautifully magical to her. And that makes it beautifully magical to me as well. And with each special memory that was created, the tears were also present because I grasped how quickly time was passing...how these days won't last forever. I literally told myself to stop and breathe it all in....

Here are some pictures of her special day....May 12, 2009.


Welcome to your 3rd Birthday Party Lexi Mae....

Lexi got her Free Birthday Pass. She was pretty happy about it!

Lexi playing in Pooh's house.

Lexi was really looking forward to her birthday lunch in the castle. She told everyone she met that she was having a party in "her" castle with all the Princesses. On the monorail ride into the park, she spotted the castle and said, "THERE'S MY CASTLE." These were pictures with Cinderella before lunch. She could not be more beautiful...even I had to remind myself that this is all make-believe.

Each little girl waved her wand and made a magical wish...bippidy boppidy boo.

The girls gave each Princess huge hugs...and Haley told Sleeping Beauty, "I know your story."

She still believes....

My Dessert...Chocolate/Cream Cheese Cake.

Lexi got 2 DESSERTS!!!!

Who else gets a Parade for their Birthday???

Wow. This party is all for me?

Happy Birthday Lexi!

Lexi yelled "Hi" to every single character....especially Donald...her favorite!

Mickey & Minnie joining Lexi's Birthday Bash.

Haley sending out some love.

Hi-five for Chip.

Lollipop Love.

Check out that Templeton Mouth....pretty impressive.

Couldn't be happier.

So may beautiful dreams left to dream Lexi Mae...so many dreams.

Florida Faves 2

Day 3 of Disney....

Uh..Hello. Welcome to Animal Kingdom

Beauty Salon.

Mr. Cricket...meet the Templetons.

We Found Nemo...at his Musical.

River Rapids. Lexi was SO happy to be tall enough to ride.

Pretty Girl.

Gorilla Love.

My Tired Monkeys

Florida Faves...

I just wanted to share a few of my favorite pics from the first couple days of our trip....still lots to download and sort through...but as I was looking through these, I decided to go ahead and post them.

It's kinda like a picture book...

Real Simple & Basic.

Just Happiness & Love.


DAY 1...
Starting the trip at Cracker Barrel. Sour Balls were purchased by my mom for the girls.

No sense of time when sippin' coke in a bottle.

Lexi and my Grandma

My Grandparents.


DISNEY DAYS
Hot Day at Hollywood Studios

Lunch at the Sci-Fi Drive In.

Toy Story Ride.

Cooling Down.

Daddy's American Idol Dream Realized...Kinda.


DAY 2 ...Flower Festival at Epcot.
My picture.

Lexi & Stitch

Pure Joy.

Our Epcot Tradition...Lunch in Mexico.

Bonjour Paris!

We Found Nemo.

Hello & Goodbye.

The Gang.

Sleeping underneath my second favorite flag....

More to Come.....